“In this book, the world seems complex, but not so much more than our own. The characters were engaging and I really started to feel for the people. Not all of them of course, there are always some characters you’d wish the killer would get. The plot was fascinating!”

“Since it’s always easier to list all the stones in the shoe than dress the praise in words, I will start with what drove me to great deal of annoyance.”

Golly, I wish he’d liked it better.

He does have some nice things to say:

“What Lawson did in his first novel was to show us a very harsh world environment torn in wars. However, he is not the typical one trick pony. What he does with his main character is traveling around the areas unrevealed in book one and presenting an even darker aspect of his universe, which is full with grotesque details and interesting concepts that are downright creepy, if not nauseating at times.”

Oooh… My writing can be nauseating! Mmmn… I like that!

“What I positively loved about the novel was the underlying theme of the traveling man, the holy pilgrimage and reevaluation of faith.”

“Despite the off-screen machinations of great rulers and esoteric magics, as well as the incursion of foreigners and alien species, the action here is defiantly local, not the least I suspect, because there’s a very “community” feel to the locale (the tavern, the woods, the church and the palace), it all has a relatively cosy feel to it (which is perhaps what makes Sorrow’s arrival — not to mention Hashii’s — so unsettling: both are alien to this place, but not completely unknown).”

The author has created a very real, dark fantasy world and I was able to picture the setting vividly in my mind. The descriptions, mood, and dialogue all help bring Lawson’s detailed world to life. The characters are deftly drawn and come across as genuine people. The prose sparkles with beautifully crafted language.

…not only is Sorrow a serious contender for the Bethanie’s Favorite-Books-of-All-Time list, but it has also made the Yes-I-Want-A-Hard-Copy list, which is huge, because there are very few books that merit an allowance of space in my teeny, tiny house, as well as the I-Can’t-Wait-To-Read-It-Again list.

“The tale takes place in the land that John Lawson has created and has really brought to life in each of his books. With such detail and linguistic depth you really begin to feel like you are in another world. Fantasy is the main genre here but mystery is woven into this well written story.”